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Downtown streetcar project advances

Kansas City, Mo., Jackson County, Mo., Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and MARC are advancing streetcar service on Main Street as the community's "locally preferred alternative." Last fall, the Kansas City Council adopted the downtown corridor transit study's recommendation to add modern streetcar service on Main Street between River Market and Crown Center to better connect downtown activity centers and promote economic development. The study considered many transit alternatives for the corridor and included an extensive public involvement effort.

The streetcar project supports Kansas City, Mo., goals for growth and development in the downtown area, leverages existing investments, and is consistent with the recommendations of Kansas City's Greater Downtown Area Plan and the Smart Moves vision for regional transit. Earlier this month, Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sly James discussed the streetcar project with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood during a trip to Washington.

proposed Route

The route on Main Street is approximately two miles long, from the intersection of 3rd Street and Grand Boulevard in the River Market to the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Pershing Road on the south. The route would connect with three major transit hubs: Grand Boulevard at 3rd Street, Main Street at 10th Street, and Main Street at Union Station.

The streetcars will generally be powered by electricity through overhead cables, and will share traffic lanes with other vehicles while using fixed rails. The basic infrastructure for streetcar service is the same as for light rail.

Amending long-range plan

In December, MARC released an amendment to Transportation Outlook 2040, the region's long-range transportation plan, to designate this project as the official locally preferred alternative based on the study outcomes. (See box at right for details.)

This is a significant milestone for the region. Greater Kansas City has studied rail service in the downtown area for years, but this is the first time options have been narrowed to an agreed-on alignment downtown. Formally identifying a locally preferred alternative is a necessary step in seeking federal funds to help build the starter line. In addition to the alignment (Main Street) and mode (streetcar), the locally preferred alternative includes a plan to finance the project.

Financing Plan

The streetcar starter line project on Main Street is estimated to cost $100 million to build. The city intends the financing plan to be downtown focused rather than city-wide. City planners and civic leaders generally accept that any new system will need to be funded largely through new revenue in order to maintain existing levels of transit service in the area.

The Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis study recommends that the streetcar line be built and funded using federal funds and by establishing a transportation development district (TDD). A downtown area TDD would enable property owners to raise funds within the district's boundaries for transportation infrastructure improvements, such as through an approved sales tax. The preliminary financing plan includes:

• A district-wide sales tax of 1 percent
• Special assessments on property based on assessed value
• Special assessments on commercial parking spaces
• Rider fares
• Advertising revenue from on-vehicle signs

The study team has established a work group of stakeholders to pursue federal funds and low-interest financing. Planners expect to submit the project to the Federal Transit Administration later in 2012 to request federal funding support.

The downtown streetcar project is ready to move into advanced conceptual engineering (ACE). MARC is currently seeking to amend the project into the region's five-year Transportation Improvement Program as part of the 2012 1st Quarter Amendment in order to begin ACE, funded primarily by Kansas City, Mo. The target for opening the streetcar service is 2015, depending on funding.

Learn More

• Locally Preferred Alternative Final Report - DRAFT (pdf, 16.8MB)
• Locally Preferred Alternative Handout (pdf)

The Downtown Corridor Alternatives Analysis study team is made up of representatives from Kansas City, Mo.; Jackson County, Mo.; Kansas City Area Transportation Authority and MARC. The project is mainly funded by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration. The study is being coordinated with the Jackson County Commuter Corridor Alternatives Analysis that is evaluating commuter transit service options on I-70 and Rock Island in Jackson County, Mo., as well as an alternatives analysis for the U.S. Highway 71/Grandview corridor.

For more information, contact Tom Gerend.

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Local data sought for bikeway inventory project

MARC is seeking help from local governments and agencies to create new bikeway data for Greater Kansas City. An accurate bikeway inventory is important to several regional planning initiatives, including Creating Sustainable Places, MetroGreen, Public Safety and Complete Streets. This inventory is a region-wide effort to collect comprehensive bikeway data from every community — not just recent additions or revisions, but all available bikeway information.

Up-to-date bikeway information is used to create the regional Bikeways and Trails Map, which is planned to be completed this spring. Updated data will help expand the region's 9-1-1 system to cover off-road trails, and will help planners identify opportunities to connect communities. Planning and proposed bikeways are also important for programming funds for the Transportation Enhancements, Safe Routes to School, Congestion Mitigation Air Quality and Surface Transportation programs.

Cities and counties that haven't submitted bikeway information to MARC yet are asked to do so by mid-January. The draft bikeway geographic information system dataset is planned to be released for review by Feb. 15, with final corrections accepted through March 2.

Ensuring that MARC has accurate information about area bikeways and trails will provide our region with a number of benefits:

• Highlight connections. Mapping local bikeways will allow planners and citizens to look beyond their boundaries to see opportunities to establish regional connections.
• Standardization of data. As MARC has done with other regional data sets — such as land use and streams — the information submitted will be standardized into a single form that's easy to share and use across boundaries.
• Data-development assistance. Some cities across the metro area may not have the resources to develop their own maps and data. MARC will freely provide all the information and data created through this project to local governments and the community.
• Fill data gaps. By consolidating regional data, MARC will be able to identify where gaps exist in current plans and information collection. The more communities participate, the more comprehensive the data record will be.
• Data available to all. The standardized data will be made available for anyone to easily access online.
  

Bikeway information will be accepted in any format, but GIS data is preferred. To submit data, contact Andrea Repinsky, 816-701-8385, in MARC's Research Services Department.

More about the bikeway inventory project

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RideShare website upgrades make it easier to find someone to share the ride with

Need to find ways to stretch a tight budget further in 2012? Take a look at your commute to work. Transportation costs are the second-largest expense for most households, and while commuters can't change the price of gas, they can control how much they drive. Many people may be surprised to find that with a little extra planning, alternatives like carpooling, riding the bus or bicycling can work for them — if only occasionally — and rack up significant savings.

RideShare Connection is an online tool that helps commuters in Greater Kansas City and St. Joseph find alternatives to driving alone. Users can create free, secure accounts to search for carpool, vanpool or bicycle partners based on their starting and destination points, work hours and preferences. The site can also help people track commute trips and monitor their savings. Participants can sign up for Guaranteed Ride Home service to access a free taxi ride home in case of emergency.

RideShare Connection's recent website upgrade resulted in a number of helpful new features for users:

• The option to set more than one commute profile to accommodate varying daily schedules
• The ability to change suggested routes on one's ride-match map (generated by Google Maps)
• Links to Google Transit and bicycle-trip planning from one's commute profile
• Integration with Facebook and LinkedIn social networking sites
• The ability to look for ride matches for events, such as First Fridays (by special request)

Employers are also increasingly concerned with how their employees get to work. Commuting costs and access to reliable transportation can affect retention and recruitment. RideShare Connection offers an employer module, which allows companies to manage a free carpool-matching website with custom content for their employees. Subscribers can find ridesharing opportunities at the company or within the larger regional carpool-matching database. And the site's reporting tool helps companies monitor alternative transportation use, miles of driving saved, and reductions in harmful emissions.

The RideShare Connection website is a partnership between MARC's RideShare program and St. Joseph, Mo. It is based on award-winning Greenride Connect software developed by Ecology and Environment, Inc.

RideShare is a publicly funded commuter-matching service for anyone who lives, works or attends school in the Greater Kansas City area. The service informs people about less expensive and environmentally friendly commuting alternatives. RideShare also helps employers develop alternative transportation programs.

For more information, contact Marge Gasnick.

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Transportation Improvement Program first quarter amendment released for public review

In December, MARC released the 2012 1st Quarter Amendment to the 2012–2016 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for public review and comment. The proposed amendment includes 13 new projects and 11 modified projects in the Kansas City region.

The TIP documents how Greater Kansas City will prioritize limited transportation resources to meet the needs of the region. The TIP contains major surface-transportation projects planned to receive federal, state and local funding within the metro area that will be carried out in the next five years.

New Projects:

• #380125 – K-10 median cable barriers in Johnson and Douglas counties
• #490120 – Interstate 29, payment to Army Corps of Engineers for Platte River Bridge improvements
• #510070 – Tiffany Springs Parkway, U.S. Highway 169 to Platte Purchase Drive
• #611167 – Kansas City streetcar
• #970095 – Veterans Transportation and Community Living Initiative
• #996092 – Bus-passenger infrastructure improvements
• Missouri Department of Transportation cost-share program projects:
  • #490121 – Interstate 29, interchange improvements at Tiffany Springs Parkway
  • #790068 – U.S. Highway 71, interchange improvements at Missouri 291
• Bridge replacements in Leavenworth, Clay and Platte counties:
  • #165010 – 178th Street between State Avenue and Leavenworth Road
  • #415205 – Dye Store Road near Fairview Road
  • #415206 – Dye Store Road between Salem Road and Taulbee Road
  • #415207 – Jowler Creek Road between Elm Grove Road and Interurban
  • #590178 – Schoolfield Road over Williams Creek

• Review proposed amendment: www.marc.org/transportation/tip/amendments/12Q1Amend.pdf

Public comments were accepted through Jan. 9. The amendment will be discussed at the Total Transportation Policy Committee meeting at MARC at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 2012.

For more information, contact Marc Hansen.

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Changes proposed to Public Participation Plan

In December, MARC proposed several changes to its Public Participation Plan, which guides how the organization involves citizens and others in the transportation decision-making process. The Public Participation Plan describes strategies and policies to engage the public in activities that MARC and other agencies undertake for the metropolitan transportation planning process, including development and maintenance of the long‐range transportation plan, Transportation Improvement Program and Unified Planning Work Program.

MARC seeks to amend Section 3, A–D, of the plan to allow:

• Transportation Improvement Program revisions related to declared emergencies to be processed through an expedited public participation process.
• Flexibility in the use of local newspapers for the advertising of public review and comment periods.
  

submit comments:

• Review proposed changes: www.marc.org/transportation/pdf/PPP-proposed-revision-Dec2011.pdf
• Input deadline: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
• How to submit input: By email to transportation@marc.org; by fax to 816/421-7758; by phone to 816/474-4240; by mail to 600 Broadway, Suite 200, Kansas City, MO 64105
• Action taken: The proposed amendment will be discussed at the Total Transportation Policy Committee meeting at MARC at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2012.

For more information, contact Karen Clawson.

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KDOT study plans to repair or replace Lewis and Clark Viaduct bridges

The Kansas Department of Transportation is studying the condition of nine bridges that make up the Lewis and Clark Viaduct, which carries Interstate 70 across the Kansas River, connecting Kansas City, Kan., and Kansas City, Mo. KDOT's goal is to develop a long-term, phased plan to prioritize the repair or replacement of the bridges. The study will also identify other roadway improvements needed in the viaduct area in order to improve safety and traveler mobility. No funding is currently available to implement the plan.

The interchange's primary study limits are:

• I-70 from north Central Avenue to the state line
• Minnesota Avenue from 5th Street to the I-70 intersection
• Washington Boulevard from 5th Street to the I-70 intersection
• Fairfax Trafficway from River City Drive to the I-70 intersection

KDOT began the Lewis and Clark Viaduct Study in March 2011, in partnership with the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan., Federal Highway Administration, Missouri Department of Transportation and MARC.

The study is assessing the condition of the aging bridges — which range from about 50 to 100 years old — as well as traffic levels and travel patterns in the study area, and other local and regional issues. Some of the community feedback is that current access is cumbersome and confusing, and that opportunities to enhance development are important.

While traffic congestion is not an issue near the viaduct today, safety is a concern. The I-70 crash rate in this area is 60 percent higher than the Kansas average for interstates due to sharp curves and winding routes.

KDOT worked with consultant firm HNTB to develop four feasible concepts for the Lewis and Clark interchange. Based on input received from stakeholders in the Fairfax Industrial District, they added two more concepts that provide direct access to the district. KDOT is still gathering feedback to help evaluate the concepts. See details and maps from the last public meeting.

The goal is to narrow the alternatives to two that can be looked at in greater detail, along with a no-build option. The final phase of the study will develop a master plan based on the selected concept. The study is expected to be completed sometime this summer. For more information, visit http://lcviaducti70.ksdot.org.

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